Safety deposit vault



Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,431

C. N. DILATUSH SAFETY DEPOS IT VAULT Filed Sept. 11, 1926 1 76/01.

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V g} BY 1 w E ATTORNEYS Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,431

c. N. DlLATUSH SAFETY DEPOSIT VAULT Filed Sept. 11, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2 l I 49 4 g 66 d r I i r i a i 1 5 i E Q mun Ill

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ATTORNEYS Oct. 9,1928. 1,687,431

. C. N. DILATUSH SAFETY DEPOSIT VAULT Filed Sept. 11, 1926 I? Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 9, 192 8.

UN M TEYT cn n s N. nILA'rUsn; or LEBANON, omo, ASQIGNOB or civ l-HALF WILLiA 1 1.

DILATUSH, or 1rtE1\u 'nIs,'v TENNESSEE, Ant nn 1;mer -asap: rnna'fion';

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SAFETY nnrosrr vA uL'r- Application filed September 11, 1926. Serial No. 134,875.

This invention relates to an-apparatus in the nature of a safe or safety deposit vault for use n storing valuables, such as moneys,

jewelry, bonds, documents, and the like,

where they will be secure against unauthorized removal and against the action of the elements. I

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character wherein the valuables will be securely locked in the depository against removal by any one over a predetermined time. The

depository is of such a character" as to have adequate capacity and to be accessible from the building or office with which it is associated and 'yet it is located under the ground and protected by the ground that surrounds it as well as by the-structure of the depository itself.

Other objects and advantages reside in certainnovel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully describedand particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to -'the accompanying drawings forming specification, and wl1ich-:'-

Figure-1 isaviewpartly in side elevation and partly in transverse vertical section showing a depository constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the gearing shown in Figure 1 and of the depository with which the gearing co-acts,

Figure 3 isa transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view -of the mechanism for the time-controlled locking bolts,

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4,

Figure 6 is a sectional viewonthe line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Figure? is a detail sectional view illustrating one of the containers, l i

Figure 8 is a similar view showing another form of container,

is locked in position when an attemptis made to. remove 1t, and

may be extended down a part of this .Figure 10 a sectional view on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8. v w Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the depository comprises an elongated cylindrical casing'l preferably of heavy rein-forced concrete and extending a substanetial .distance down intoithe round from the room .or ofiice 2 in which t cup or end of thecylijndrical casing is located. he lupper end of the cylindrical casing l-is open and the lower end thereof is closed, as indicated at 3.- The upper portion of the casing'isprovided with a gas-tight jacket 4 in which air or gas under pressure is contained. A

gauge 5 is provided and llasa pipe line 6 which afl'ords communication between the gauge and the interior of the acket. By observing the gauge the pressure within the jacket lim'ay be known andi-fany one penetratesthe jacket with a view of gainingac- .cess into the casing this fact will be known fron'i a reading of the gauge because a break in the jacket 4 will result in reduction-in pressure within the jacket. --The jacket 4 into the ground-any desirable distance; i

The present invention proposes the use of a number of containers, designatedgenerally at 10 and '11, and in which the moneys, valuables, bonds, documents and the-like, 'are stored. Each container 10 comprises a cylindrical body portion 12 having a closed bottom 13 to which an 'annular washer 14 is secured, the washer being constructed of rubber or other elastic material and-projecting out beyond the periphery of the body portion. This washer 14 may be riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom of its container. A removable neck 15 is threadedly connected, as at 16, to the upper end of the body port-i0n12 of-thecontainer 10 and this removable'neck carries a closure 17 ,the closure 17 7 including a sleeve-like body 18 telescoped within-the neck 15 and having a c ap plate 19 fastened to its upper end and projecting outwardly be 0nd the sleeve so as to overlie and project eyond the neck 15. In the closed position of the closure 17 its cap 19 is spaced a short distance above the upper end of'the neck 15. Topreclude the possibility of grapples being employed'by unauthorized persons for the purpose of wardly and project through slots 22 pro-- vided in the body 18 of the closure and over the upper edge of the neck for the pur pose of locking the container 10 in the cas= 'ing 1, the dogs biting into. the-wall of the casing 1, as shown. in Figure 9. This same construction is embodied in the container 11 shown in Figures 8 and 10 with the exception that the closure 17 is surmounted by a short cylinder'25 carryinga packing element 26.. The container 11 is the type of container usually employed at thetop of a stack of containers to exclude water, liquid, or the like from the containers.

The stack of containers-mounted in the casing are located at a comparatively great depth down in the ground and are secure because theyare inaccessible to unauthorized persons. For the purpose of facilitating the removal of the containers by authorizedpersons the stack'of containers are supported upon'a'time lock, designated generally at 30,, and suspended by steel tapes or belts'31 extending up inside of the casing 1, trained over guide pulleys 32 at the upper end of the casing onto winding drums 33 carried on shafts 34 and 35, the shaft 35 being coupled to the armature shaft of an electric motor 36 andservingto drive the shaft 34 through belt and pulley gearing 37. The time-controlled locking mechanism comprises a frame or casing 40, in the lower portion of which gudeways 41 are formed to slidably receive locking bolts 42, one looking bolt 42 being projectable out through one portion of the frameof the lock and into a seat 43 provided in one part of the casing 1 and the other locking bolt being oppositely located in a similar seat 43 in the casing 1. Bolts 42 are controlled from two sets of clock mechanism which operate in synchronism, an upper set of mechanism being designated at 44 and a lower set of mechanism being designated at 45. The mechanisms 44 and 45 are of identical construction though oppositely arranged. Each clock mechanism includes clockwork 46 which is of conventional construction and includes as usual a key wound main spring (not shown) ,a train of gearing 48 and an escapement mechanism 49. The shaft on wh ch the main spring is mounted has a gear wheel 49 meshed therewith and this gear Wheel drives an intermediate drive wheel 50 which in turn drives shaft 52 and having nection with a drum 53 fixed to the shaft 52 Lee /343i a large gear wheel 51 loosely mounted on a a one-way winding conso that when the gear wheel 51 is rotated from the drive mechanism it will move the drum 58. On the other hand the drum 53 may, be rotated without imparting move- 'ment to the gear wheel 51. A key 54 is secured to one end ofthe shaft 52 tdfacilitate adjustment of the same and this shaft 52 may also carry a hand or pointer co-operable with a dial similar to ordinary alarm clock. The drum 53 has a flange 55 formed with a notch in its periphery and this flange 55 is engaged by a laterally extending finger- 57 provided on one end of a trip'arm 58, the trip arm being fixed to a shaft 59 and being biased by a spring 60 to cause its linger 57 to engage the flange 55 of the drum. The same shaft 59 which carries the trip arm also has fixed thereto a pawl 61 which engages a ratchet wheel 62 fixed on a shaft 63, the shaft 63 having a gear wheel 64 fixed thereto and meshing with a large gear wheel 65 fixed on the shaft 66. The shaft 66 has a winding key 67 secured to its outer end and this same shaft is connected with a coil spring 66. The

other end of the coil spring is fixed to the casing. This arrangement results in the ten-- the alarm dial of an 56 at one point sioning of the coil spring 68 when the shaft 66 is turned in one direction. In addition to the gear wheel 65 the shaft 66 has fixed thereto a bevel gear wheel 69 which meshes with asimilar bevel gear wheel 70 fixed to the upper end of a pinion shaft 71. All of the shafts mentioned in connection, with this clockwork or time-controlled mechanism are journaled in vided on the casing. Thelower end of the upper shaft, 71 opposite that on which the pinion 7 0 is mounted and the upper end of the lower shaft 71 carries pinions 72 and 72 respectively. The pinions 72 and 72 of the two shafts 71 and 71 mesh with pairs of rack bars'73 and 73 provided on opposite faces of the bolts 42. -The rack bars 73 and 73 have slots 74 therein and theseslots 74 receive headed screws or pins 7 5 perm tting limited relative longitudinal movement between the rack bars and the boltswith which they are associated. (3n each bolt 42 a compression coil spring 76 is mounted, the compression coil spring abutting a screw. 77 or other suitable abutment at one end, the opposite end of each coil spring receiving a reduced extension 7 8 of the rack bar 73'With which it is associated.

suitable bearings pro With this arrangement the time controlled locking element is set by turning the shaft ,52 to'cause the notch 56 to be angularly racks 73.

shaft and pawl 61 to cause the pawl 61 to engage and hold the ratchet wheel 62 and consequently the shaft 63 against rotation;

in one direction. The'shaft 63 is geared to the shaft'66 and consequently the shaft 66 and shaft 71 are all similarly held. The shaf 66 may, however, be turned in one direction and turning movement in such direc-. tion will effect a projection of the bolts 42. This projection of the bolts 42 will be caused by reason of the fact that when the shaft 66 is turned in one direction the shaft 71 is also turned and turning of the shaft 71 effects an outward sliding movement of the The racks 73 push against the springs 76 which are somewhat compressed and yieldably project the bolts 42. By providing these yieldable springs 76 in the mechanism that is used to project the bolts it is possible to push the bolts in and introduce the time-controlled lock into the casing 1 whereupon the bolts 42 will be held ret-racted against the tension of the springs 76 until these bolts 42 are aligned with the seats 3 43 at which time the s rin 's 73 will automatically project the bolts into the seats 43. The turning of the shaft 66 to project the bolts 42 also results in a winding or tensioning of the spring 68 so that the spring 6 68 has a tendency to reversely turn the shaft 71 to cause positive retraction of the bolts 42. Such reverse turning of the shaft 71 and such retraction of the bolts 42 cannot occur,

' however as long as the pawl 61 engages the i ratchet 62. The pawl 61 engages the ratchet 62 as long as the finger 57 rides on the flange 55 of the drum 53. When the selected period of time has elapsed the drum 53 will have been rotated to bring the notch 56 under the finger 57 whereupon the finger 57 snaps into the notch 56 causing the trip arm 58 to rock the shaft 59 to whichit is fixed and swing the pawl 61 away from the ratchet wheel 62 and permit free rotation of this ratchet wheel 62 and its shaft 63 in either direction. This freedom of the shaft 63 permits it to turn under the influence of the spring 68 and the spring 68 not only turns the shaft 63 but also turns the shaft 71 and positively retracts the bolts. It is obvious that one set of clock mechanism or tine-controlled 1nechanism may be omitted or may be inoperative without affecting the action of the time-controlled lock.

The general operation of the invention consists in first setting the time controlled mechanism and then lowering the same into the casing 1 under the action of the drum controlled steel tapes. The weight of the timecontr0lled mechanism is sufficient to cause the descent of the same in the casing, the bolts 42 not setting up any material resistance as the springs that project the same are light. The containers 10 and 11 may also be positioned on top of the timecontrolled mechanism during the loweringthereof 'orthey'may be dropped. into the the casing after the time-controlled mec'h anism'h'as been lowered. If desirable the washers may be omitted on some containers. When the time-controlled mechanism has The function of the,

been locked in the'lower end of the casing by the engagement of the bolts 42 with the seats 43 of the casing neither the containers northe time-controlled mechanism can be removed until the time-controlled mechanism affects the retraction ofthe bolts. At such a time the electric motor may be operated to raise the time-controlled mechanism and consequently the containers up into the ofiice. As shown in Fig. 3 the inner periphery of the casing 1 may have longitudinal grooves thereIn to accommodate steel tapes 31. It is to be understood that the time-controlled mechanism or its housing is sufiiciently small to provide the requisite clearance between the same and the casing l. The tapes 31 have a tensile strength more than sufiicient to raise the time-controlled mechanism and thecont ainers but these tapes or cables would break before the bolts 42 would shear off. It is to be understood that the casing 1 is relatively long and relatively narrow and preferably the internal diameter of the casing is so small as to preclude any person from going down into the same.

' I claim r 1. An apparatus of the character described comprising an elongated casing located for the major portionof its extent below the ground, locking mechanism having means cooperable with the lower portion of the casing ground, the lower end of the casing being I closed, the upper end of the casing being open locking mechanism having means cooperable with the lower portion of the casing for releasably securing it to the casing,

means for raising the locking mechanism when it IS disengaged from the casing, and a number of containers positioned withinthe casing and above the locking mechanism. at

least one of the containers having packing means to prevent ingress of water or the like.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising an elongated casing located for asing having bolt seats in its lower portion tensioneo; by the rotation of the manually time-controlled mechanism including a casrotatable shaft in aidirection to project the ing having bolts slidably mounted thereon bolts, and clock controlled pawl and ratchet 5 engageable. with the seats of the casing racks mechanism for preventing said spring from having elastic connection with the bolts, a acting for a predetermined period. pinion meshed with the racks, a pinion shaft 4 carried by the pinion, a manually rotatable CHARLES DILATUSH.

the most of its extent below the ground, said shaft geared to said pinion shaft, a spring 

